Mindful loving beauty

Aloha! This post will be introducing you to a natural skincare brand from Hawaii (if you hadn’t guessed that already) called Leahlani Skincare. I am trying my hardest to remember how I came across it in the first place…nope, memory of a goldfish is not giving me any hints! Either way, that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that YOU also know of them and can delight in the brand’s beautiful products.

Honey Love Microdermabrasion 3-in-1 Mask, Cleanser & Exfoliator is a lovely concoction of Hawaiian raw honey, organic flower powders, Leahlani Skincare’s essential oil blend and corundum crystals. The crystals are heavy so they sink to the bottom of the pot but are easily activated by stirring the product with the accompanying spatula. Corundum crystals are the microdermabrasion part which helps in reducing or uneven or rough skin texture, minimizing fine lines and stimulating the production of skin cells by gently resurfacing the skin. I actually feel that this mask/cleanser/exfoliator is perfect without stirring as it then has the perfect amount of crystals distributed but for those wanting more exfoliation, it is simply to stir! The scent I find a bit hard to describe…definite notes of lavender but something else as well which my nose had a hard time deciding whether it liked or not. After regular use though it grew to love it! I used this product as my morning cleanser and it really left my skin soft and cleansed, ready for the Champagne Serum.

Champagne Serum is described as happy hour for the skin by Leah herself. It’s infused with an antioxidant cocktail, vitamin E & C and rose hip along with the brand’s balancing blend of essential oils. It is stated to even skin tone, tighten skin and combat wrinkles. The scent is very special, almost candy like if I am to liken it to anything…quite sweet but beautiful and lovely to apply. It sinks into your skin quickly and further leaves your skin smooth, which seems quite a feat after the Honey Love 3-in-1 magic concoction! The serum comes in a dark glass bottle with a pipette and looks greeny-yellowy. A really lovely product, both for your skin and your nose!

Aloe Day Dream has a similar scent to the Champagne Serum, sweet and reminiscent of the Hawaiian islands. With aloe, shea butter and jojoba it claims to be great for all skin types and especially beneficial for sensitive skins. The consistency is very light and goes on smoothly without leaving a greasy residue. When I was using all these products together my skin was very soft and they didn’t break me out or do other freaky things without my permission! That said, some of you may have noticed that I keep speaking in the past tense, as in doesn’t Nic use these products anymore (because I do have some left)? I’m not sure if it was any product in particular or just my skin protesting to having all of its skincare products changed during this trial period (except for Aurelia Miracle Cleanser [review], that baby has continued being my go-to evening cleanser and I can’t see another product rivaling it off the shelf!) but after about 3 weeks I noticed that my skin was more prone to getting these annoying mozzie-like bites which I’ve suffered from now and then for many years. I know that the skincare itself isn’t the main cause as I can get these reactions from pretty much anything but they did feel exacerbated after a 3 week period (note how I didn’t react at all in the beginning, in fact my skin had never looked or felt better) so I switched back and scaled down and now my skin is back in balance. I’m planning on switching out one product at a time now to see how my skin fares but I do think my skin was just telling me to calm down with the testing. I look forward to incorporating one Leahlani product at a time now and taking notes on what my skin tolerates.

That was a bit of sidetracking as I hadn’t quite finished reviewing all the products. The Supreme Eye & Wrinkle Cream is one of the brands bestsellers next to the Honey Love and promises to moisturize, tone, hydrate and restore the delicate skin around your eyes and lips. I’ve only just started using an eye cream, in fact this was my first so I can’t really compare it to anything…it doesn’t have much of a smell and a little goes a very long way so a small pot will last you a while. I don’t suffer much from fine lines and the like (yet!) so it’s hard to say if this product lives up to its promise but it does leave the eye area soft and moisturized.

The Leahlani Lavender Spritzer & Toner is a lovely product to use just before you’re going to bed to relax and calm you and send the brain signals that it’s now time to sleep! I like to spray it over my pillow and on and around my face so I drift off to the soporific scent of lavender. I’m not a toner user so I don’t use it as one regularly but I could definitely see it being a great toner post-cleanse for those who are!

Mermaid Masked Me

The Mermaid Mask and Siren Serum both worked a treat as well. The latter I got about 3 uses out of so it’s always hard to say too much about a product from such a short time but I did like the scent a lot – it reminded me of freshly squeezed orange juice! The Mermaid Mask has a weird but wonderful consistency, almost slime-like but nice! Containing Hawaiian spirulina, sea buckthorn, raw honey and luminess algae to name but a few ingredients, it clarifies, hydrates and plumps. I really enjoyed this mask and like with all Leahlani Skincare products leaves your skin baby soft. The Pikake Dream Cream was an absolute dream product (pun intended) and was one that I finished very quickly. Another beautiful smelling cream that once again left your skin, that’s right, baby bottom smooth.

I won’t be adding the INCI list to these products this time, I thought you could click on the product and have it take you to the Etsy store where you can find the full Leahlani Skincare range. I did however have some questions about some of the ingredients which I thought I would share with you. I was also given permission by Leah to do so which I was very happy about.

I have been reading the INCI labels on the products and I was wondering what constitutes the glycine derivative?

It’s a formaldehyde and paraben free preservative derived from glycine (an amino acid) that we use at 0.5% which gives our products a 9 month shelf life.

How many % is the rose ether at?

The rose ether is about half a percent. I understand the inquiries. I have been studying skincare for many years, we had a few courses at school pertaining to preservatives. There is a large amount of information out there, and there are always two different opinions. Rose ether I determined to be really safe and gentle in low concentrations, it is an organic derivative as well. More people have adverse reactions with essential oils, surprisingly! Preservatives are extremely important- using rancid products are not good for the skin.

So there you have it! Wise words I reckon and just like Leah says, people will always have differing opinions regarding preservatives. I think the important thing is being aware, asking questions where possible and then making your own educated decision about what to put on your skin. I’m just happy that there are wonderful people like Leah who are passionate about what they do and want to create natural and safe skincare for consumers to indulge in. Another great thing about this brand is the affordable prices, even more so if you live in the US I imagine! My only complaint was the very long delivery time but I guess that was to be expected when ordering from Sweden! Not quite the country next door…

I hope this has made you interested in finding out more about Leahlani Skincare and should you be feeling frisky with your wallet right this minute head over here! With every order comes a Leahlani Skincare Product Catalog listing the various products and a little manual explaining the Leahlani ritual for optimum results. Also for a more detailed interview with Leah herself check out Ru’s blog Short, small & sweet.

Mahalo for reading green beauty bunnies!

Nic xx

As always, all views stated are personal and have not been endorsed by any man, woman, child or alien. Then again I will never be certain of the latter if I’ve been abducted and the memory of it was erased…

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18 comments

Fantastic review! So detailled and informative, you’re the boss Nic 😉 I’m particularly intrigued by the honey 3-in-1 cleanser, mask & exfoliator and the Mermaid mask. I’ll definitely try to place an order in the future. I wouldn’t mind a little bit of Hawaii in my beauty cabinet. Xxp.s. I love your disclaimer – the alien part made me chuckle.

Thank you Liz! Means a lot that you enjoyed reading it =) The Honey Love is very effective. I used it as a cleanser most of the time and it really did its job. I loved applying the Mermaid Mask due to its consistency and my skin felt soft and smooth after rinsing it off. Definitely check them out! Leah has also recently added a new body butter to the current collection with the scent of lychees! How fabulous doesn’t that sound! xx

It’s a super lovely brand and Leah is so easy to reach out to with any questions or concerns you may have. I would definitely recommend getting in touch with her if you’re unsure what to get. The Champagne Serum is one of my fav products from the line, feels so luxurious and sinks in super quick. That would be a great first purchase =) Thanks for taking the time to read and comment! xx

Thanks Amber! Makes me happy to know that you feel inspired to get know the brand better =) Would be awesome if there were more reviews up on this skincare range. That said, there are a ton on the Etsy shop but a blog post usually goes into more detail which helps if you’re on the fence whether to buy a product or not. The Honey Love is a good one to have on a wish list! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. xx

There are few things as good as finding a good Etsy shop! I’m a sucker for marketing and anything called Mermaid Mask or Pikake Dream has me sold already. Great review, this range sounds so beautiful. x

Haha you make me laugh Chesca! Wonderful, then my work is done trumpeting out the beauty of this particular brand 😉 I’m a sucker for marketing too so I was also totally sold with the names. Hard not to be! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. xx

Nic, you are so funny! Even the parts that are “serious” are hilarious!! I just love your writing and your spontaneity! About the products, I follow that brand on Etsy and on Instagram (I think) and have always wondered, I love small businesses. Good job on this review! Really love your blog, and you look so yummy with that Mermaid mask! Hugs xo

Lol! I’m happy to make you laugh then! Makes me happy to hear that you enjoy my writing style as well so thank you very much.You should definitely give this brand a try if you’ve always wondered. Their day or night kit is good value for money for those wanting to try the range out =) Thanks again for your kind words, Alex. They really made my morning over here. xx